Where Are They Now: Cutie Patooties of the ’90s

Here at CollegeCandy we’re really totally digging the ’90s this summer. (And we’re not talking about the temperature.) With parents invading Facebook and Lindsay Lohan in jail, we yearn for simpler times. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to travel back to the days of Fruit by the Foot, TGIF, and floppy haired boys? All this nostalgia got us wondering where our favorite Hollywood mini-hunks of yesteryear are this year.

1. Haley Joel Osment from The Sixth Sense, Pay it Forward and A.I.

He went from seeing dead people to seeing drunk people. Now 22 and enrolled in college, I wonder if he’s any good at beer pong? Granted he’s attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, but those kids have got to know how to party, too. Prior to seeking higher education, he made his Broadway debut co-starring in a revival of American Buffalo. Well, that’s nice.

Easily the most successful duo of this bunch, Dylan and Cole went on to become the highest paid Disney stars through the show The Suite Life of Zach & Cody. They must have the Olsen twins’ manager, because not only are they racking up $40, 000 an episode, they’ve also started a clothing line, book series, and magazine. As if that wasn’t enough for their already sparkling resume, they too are headed to NYU in the fall.

3. Jonathan Lipnicki as the little boy in Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little

He was the cute little brainy kid along side Tom Cruise, now he’s just got a mohawk and an awkward nose. Within the past few years, he’s done a couple guest performances for shows like Monk and Family Guy. Nothing major. However, he’s said to mainly be focusing on independent films at the moment. Is that industry-speak for “bad economy”?

4. Lorenzo and Nikolas Brino as Sam and David Camden as the fraternal twin boys on 7th Heaven

These two have completely dropped off the face of the earth. Though their public image went the way of 7th Heaven, they do have a Facebook group, which I recommend everyone “Like”.

5. Ben Savage as Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World

Who didn’t love Cory Matthews? I dare you to answer that with anything but an uproarious “He was the best!” Apparently this kid had smarts in addition to acting chops, seeing as how he graduated from Stanford with a degree in Political Science. Sadly, he never ran for president, opting instead to continue pursuing his acting career. He’s made a bunch of guest appearances in TV shows including, most recently, Without a Trace. Currently, he’s filming Doesn’t Texas Ever End. Here’s hoping his career doesn’t.Do I smell a Boy Meets World movie?!

6. Henry Thomas as Elliott in E.T.

Come on! He’s the little brother from Brad Pitt’s epic Legends of the Fall! Just pieced that together, and quite honestly, my mind is blown. While most of these other actors’ careers took a dip after the ’90s, Mr. Thomas here went on to appear in over 40 films, most recently the blockbuster hit Dear John. (Editor’s Note: Wait, there was someone else in that movie besides Channing Tatum??)

7. Taran Noah Smith as the youngest brother from Home Improvement

Ever heard the phrase, “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me”? Well, that applies here. This guy’s bio is so bizarre and unbelievable, I almost refuse to believe it’s true (but a little sleuthing proved everything to be factual). Here’s the scoop: when he was 17-years-old Taran married a woman 16 years his senior. Weird, right? So the new couple moved to Kansas where they opened a non-dairy cheese manufacturing company. Totally standard, right? Then, once he gained control of his trust fund from Home Improvement he accused his parents of squandering it. Pretty par for the course in Hollywood. Then, to cap it all off, his wife informed him she preferred women to men. In 2007, the bank foreclosed on Smith’s home. The marriage was annulled in 2009. After a messy legal battle over the companies the couple co-owned, the child star is said to have reconciled with his parents. Where’s E! True Hollywood Story when you need them, eh?

8. Danny Tamberelli asLittle Pete in The Adventures of Pete & Pete

Not only is the theme song from Pete and Pete stored safely in my iTunes library (it’s “Hey Sandy” by Polaris, if you were wondering), but this show will forever be in my heart. They were brothers with the same name, the mom had a metal plate in her head, there were amazing guest stars (Selma Blair, LL Cool J, Iggy Pop). What’s not to love!? The younger ginger brother, Danny Tamberelli, starred in a commercial for Wendy’s hamburgers in 2006. He’s also a bassist/vocalist for a couple obscure bands and a member of the sketch comedy group “Man Boobs: Sketchy Comedy,” which is fitting currently working on a pilot intended for television. Fingers crossed that that comes to fruition. Seeing his all-grown-up face alone drives me to pee my pants, I can’t imagine what would happen if he started cracking jokes.

9. Tahj Mowry as Teddy, or Michelle’s best friend, on Full House

I always feared that he’d never emerge from the shadow of a double dose of twins- his older sisters, Tia and Tamara; and those crazy Olsens. Tahj proved that, like Cher and cockroaches, he can make it through anything. He has been largely involved with the Disney Channel since his Full House days, most notably as the voice of Wade in the animated series Kim Possible. Most recently, he’s been seen in the film Are We Done Yet?, in an episode of Desperate Housewives, and in a few episodes of The Game. Here’s hoping we can see him in even bigger rolls. Like a Full House revival… Dare to dream.

10. Jason James Richter as Jesse from Free Willy

Let me just say, of all these cool little dudes, Jesse made my heart beat faster than a junkie’s. Maybe it was his brief streak as a juvenile delinquent, maybe it was his sad orphan story, maybe it was his pet killer whale…I really couldn’t tell you. All I know is that Free Willy played at least three times a day in my house. Regarding Jason James Richter’s current whereabouts, as recently as 2009 Richter played “Clown # 2” in an episode of Bones. Currently, he devotes his time as a bassist for a band called “Fermata.” And he’s totally ugly. Just throwin’ that out there.